Group 1- Information



HaLorien

Full Name: HaLorien
Abbreviation: HL
Background and History: HaLorien was originally purchased in April of 1834 by the HaLorien family, who lived in Australia. The island was primarily used for a vacation spot for the family and some renters but word of the island and its resources grew, and so did the number of renters. The population grew and it was time to have some form of government provide rules and regulations. The people of HaLorien needed a leader and the HaLorien family could not suffice. The people of HaLorien were demanding their independence so they could have room to grow into a real country. Finally Roger Carwrite, a distant relative to the family, heard the people and wrote a document called the Carwrite Declaration on January 13, 1946, claiming the island’s independence from the HaLorien's ownership.
Theory of State: HaLorien seems to be derived from two possible theories of state. The first, as the island was settled by the HaLorien family, would be the theory of evolution. This theory claims that a nation is started by the growth of a head family throughout generations. This applies to HaLorien due to the fact that the family invited other relatives to visit their island, who eventually inhabited it. However, a second theory of state better explains the actual development of the nation--not just how it was inhabited. The theory of a social contract better explains the development of a country from the populated island. All of the people on HaLorien agreed that a government was needed to provide rules, regulations, and security, and as society, they enabled Roger Carwrite to declare their freedom from the HaLorien family.

National Anthem: Koste Seselwa


National Colors: Azure Blue and Gold

National Tree: Acacia saligna (Golden Wreath Wattle)	National Flower: Actinotus helianthi (Flannel Flower)
National Bird: Cuckoo Roller	National Gemstone: Labradorite

DUE MARCH 3RD- 10 POINTS


Location: Located to the west of Australia, in the Indian Ocean.
Coordinates: 22°S, 110°E
Size: Roughly the size of Georgia, United States: 60,000 square miles.
Climate: The climate is humid subtropical and mostly neutral all year round. Some areas of the country experience dry spells, while others stay lush and green throughout the seasons.
Terrain: The terrain of HaLorien ranges from sloping hills, to flat deserts. The areas surround the rivers and the coast remain green, fertile plains. The areas between the rivers, due to lack of irrigation, suffer from dry spells, leaving them flat and desert-like.
Natural Resources:

Mineral Sands	Coal 
Timber 	Iron Ore
Salt

Arable Land: 52%, approx. 31,200 square miles

A fertile, coastal example of the terrain on HaLorien.

Environmental Issues:
1. Due to the flow of salt water throughout the country, the salinity of the soil is increasing, and the arable land percentage is
dropping. In addition, the presence of salt water had become more prominent in the fresh water regions, which has had a
debilitating effect on the fresh water marine life.
2. Furthermore, the imposition of coastal erosion is creating a problem for seaside habitats and homes. The hydraulic action of the
waves produces an attrition with rock pieces, while the fine sand of the ocean causes a slower corrosion of the beach and cliff
coasts. The beaches are retreating—reducing the amount of useable inland, and older, coastal buildings are starting to collapse
under the weathering rock.
3. As 52% of HaLorien is arable land, many forests have been cleared in order to make room for large farms. This deforestation has caused a significant drop in the number of Cuckoo Rollers that inhabit the island, as with many other native animals. Many enviromental groups have protested deforestation throughout the country, but it has yet to yield. As a detrimental result, the Cuckoo Roller is in danger of becoming extinct on HaLorien.


DUE MARCH 3RD- 20 POINTS


Total Population: 8,783,340 people
Average Age: 46 years
-Longevity: 86 years
Percentage of People in Urban Areas: 62 %
Nationality: HaLorienigan
Religion(s):

73% Christian:			27% Other:
32% Catholic	10% Presbyterian	5% Lutheran	14% Unknown	9% Jewish
15% Angelican	6% Orthodox	5% Baptist	3% Buddhist	1% Hindu

Language(s): Though many languages have blended together in HaLorien, the national language remains English with an Australian dialect derived from the Aboriginal people.
Traditional Dress/Clothing: There is no formal traditional clothing or dress, but everyday wear follows closely to the Western attire of the United States of America. However, HaLorienigans' clothing is tailored to the warm climate as well as accesorized with Golden Wreath Wattles and Labradorites.
Food:

Breakfast:		Lunch:
Hash Brown Casserole- A hearty mixture of hash browns, sausage, and eggs baked into a casserole. A common breakfast dish for many HaLorien families.		Fried Alligator Sandwich- Pieces of alligator deep fried delicately placed on any choice of toasted bread served with mayonnaise and lettuce with sides of rice. Although many people substitute mayonnaise for their preferred sauce.
Meat Mixture- True to its name this breakfast favorite includes any meat or poultry (commonly steak) mixed with eggs cheese and occasionally vegetables.		Kiburu Soup- This odd soup derives from the early people of HaLorien. Very simple the soup consists of three ingredients, bananas and coffee, and dirt. Surprised about the dirt? The dirt actually gives the soup a saltiness and earthiness flavor.
Dinner:		Dessert:
White Fillets Marinated in Pesto- Any fish marinated in a homemade pesto sauce, usually served with rice. As HaLorien has a rich supply of seafood, this is a common meal.		Rose Ice Cream- Beautiful pink ice cream actually made from rose petals found in the luscious areas of HaLorien.
Cod Curry Cooked in Coconut- Cod baked with curry and coconut served with creamed coconut shreds and seasoned fresh green beans.		Hagelslag- Chocolate sprinkles served on a buttered piece of bread.

Major National Holidays:
Day Vir Dankie: August 31st: Like most American traditions, the citizens of HaLorien take on a day each year to celebrate family, food, and friends. For most

Melkkos

Americans this holiday is known as Thanksgiving. In HaLorien, this holiday is known as Day Vir Dankie (meaning "Day for Thanks"). For this Holiday the HaLorienigans take on a mixture of ancient Aboriginal and modern HaLorien culture. Instead of the traditional turkey and pie, Day Vir Dankie includes a meal with either emu or red kangaroo (hunted often by aboriginal people). Dessert is traditionally Melkkos, a popular Aboriginal dessert made with milk and cake flour. The day is ended with large groups of dancing and singing similar to most Aboriginal celebrations.

A heart shaped firework is presented to exemplify the love that Carwrite had for this nation.

Carwrite Glory Day: January 13th: Also, a day is devoted on January 13 to celebrating the Carwrite Declaration that claimed the country’s independence. The holiday takes on mostly American and Australian traditions. This day is reserved for giving and celebration. The day will begin with the trading of gifts, and possibly even a Callidus (clever) Carwrite, where unanimous bearings are left upon the door steps of your neighbors. This is to symbolize and inspire the joy that Carwrite brought to the country with the Declaration. Later on, as the sun falls, it is customary for each region of HaLorien to produce their own display of fireworks sent from the Capitol. Each regions' fireworks represent an accomplishment of the nation--a sort of short recapping of history to remind all of how their country was formed.

A town elder would spend months on a Cuckoo such as this.

Cuckoo Calling: February 21st: This holiday originally was a day on which hunters would mimick the calls of the Cuckoo Roller in hopes of attracting them, then killing them in order to create a fanciful mantel piece. Today, the national day is not celebrated as a way of killing the precious national symbol, but instead, it is day for witnessing the beautiful bird. Cuckoo "hunts" are often assembled, however, these "hunts" do not involve living birds. Instead, the town elders will create Cuckoo Rollers from any household materials, then hide them in the brush around the rivers and Lake Lorien. If a bird is to be found, the child will receive some small token of effort, but more importantly, the seniors take this time to explain the importance of protecting the Cuckoo Roller as their country is modernized.



Cultural Norms:

• Greeting the eldest person in a room first.
• Say goodbye to each person individually while looking them in the eye to acknowledge them.
• Giving the gifts of knives and scissors signifies one would like to sever the relationship.
• It is common courtesy to remove your left shoe upon entering one's home.

Customs:

• Deaths are to be celebrated, not mourned. Rather than wearing dark colors at a funeral, bright colors are worn in rememberence of the life that the dead once lived.
• It is tradition for the grandfather of a family to choose the middle name of any child born into a family.
• The first family pet, usually a dog, is to be buried next to the family plot in a cemetary, as they provide unconditional love and loyalty as any family member would.

Taboos:

• Do not wrap gifts in purple: it is a symbol of bad luck.
• Do not wrap gifts in yellow: it is a symbol of jealousy.
• Never pass to the left of a leaf: as it once was vital to a living tree, it symbolizes a loss in your future.

DUE MARCH 17TH- 20 POINTS


Overview:
The economy of HaLorien began as merely a way for vacationers of the island to receive the goods and services they required. However, as the island's population began

to flourish and their independence declared, a distinct free market economy came into view. The founders of HaLorien, the same who developed the government, were dear fans of Adam Smith. These founders worshiped his ideals, and as a result, his views were moderately applied to the economy of HaLorien. The economy thrived behind the invisible hand and self interest, but soon the HaLorienigans were encountering problems when it came to road paving, plumbing, sidewalks, and such. Government intervention was required, and Smith's “laissez-faire” concept was limited. With that government intervention, the population of HaLorien was able to focus on entrepreneurship and trade. Businesses began entering the market and main industries began to take a prominent role in the country's economy. Soon, the small island was producing large amounts of paper products, lumber, and mined materials. More recently, tourism has taken a hold on the country for it's luscious features that have attracted so many inhabitants. Today, with the said industries in full swing, HaLorien has a growing mixed economy set on the base of free enterprise.

Current Economic Challenges:

1. Rising Price of Healthcare: In recent years, the price of healthcare for the HaLorienigans has increased. Because of HaLoricare and HaLoriaid, health care spending never exceeded the gross domestic product, recently it had began to exceed the gross domestic product. Not only have they led to higher spend but Medicare and Medicaid led to rising health care prices. One reason why healthcare prices are rising is because essentially HaLoriens are spending someone else's money when they go to hospitals. Economic studies prove that HaLoriens are less likely to be careful shoppers if someone else is paying the bill. When HaLoriens are paying their own medical bills, they tend to be more conscientious. The increase in spending has occurred because someone else is paying the bill.
2. Increased Interest Rates: Although many HaLoriens do not have credit cards, many do and the increased interest rates causes a break in their wallets. Credit Card companies have many reasons for increased interest rates. There's as many as 16 known reasons, but the list keeps growing. Some possible reasons for increased interest rates could be, you were late on your credit card payment, you went over your credit limit, you have too much debt, you fail to adhere to any of the terms in the cardholder agreement, and market conditions changed. Due also to the growing economy, many companies are increasing the interest rate, which is causing decreased spending, and could potentially slow down the thriving economy.
3. "Going Green": Similar to many other countries, HaLorien does not have enough time or money to focus on "going green." Although many households in Carwrite have made efforts to "go green", some ways to go green simply cannot be done by the HaLorienigans. Refilling used water bottles with tap water, one way to "go green", can be harmful to HaLoriens. HaLoriens do not drink tap water. Only higher class families with money pay for a purification system to be installed into their homes. Other than that most HaLoriens consume bottled water. Because HaLorien is not very large in size, the money and time needed to create a water purification plant is too immense and needed elsewhere in the country. Another way to "go green" is to conserve the wilderness. While HaLorien has many national wild life parks and areas, timber is one of HaLorien's main exports. Without that fourth vital export of timber, the economy could take an irreversible, unwanted fall. One prominent way HaLorienigans are working to better their environmental footprint, is to choose to walk or ride a bike to your destination to lower the use of gas. Government officials do not completely ignore the idea of "going green", just the idea right now is irretrievable. Many scientist and environmentalists say that it could very well happen in the distant future. Positively speaking, by households and businesses conserving money on energy and water, those funds can go toward spending and consuming, which would boost the economy even further.

GDP: $420 Billion GDP per Capita: $47,817.80 GDP Growth Rate: 2.4% (2010) 1.7% (2009) 1.32% (2008) Labor Force by Occupation: 53% agricultural 9% industrial 38% service Unemployment Rate: 5.7% % Population Below the Poverty Line: 11% Income Distribution: Lowest 5th: 15% Middle Three 5ths: 53% Highest 5th: 32% Inflation Rate: 1.84% (2010) 1.62% (2009) 1.38% (2008) Name of Currency: Lorence Exchange Rate to US Dollar: 1.00 Lorence = 1.17 US Dollars The 1 Lorence (pictured left) depicts, on both sides, late Roger Carwrite's engraving. The coin is kept simple because Roger Carwrite was not a man of frivilous desires, but a man who simply wanted independence and freedom for this beloved country. 

Agricultural Products: Fish Wheat Fruits (specifically Pitaya) Barley Industries: Mining Lumber Wood and Paper Products Tourism Major Exports: Salt Iron Ore Timber Coal Major Imports: Petroleum Products Industrial Chemicals Telecommunications Equipment Textiles Plastics Main Trading Partners: Main Import Partners: China (37%), India (22%), Japan (15%), Iraq (13%), New Zealand (10%) Main Export Partners: China (38.5%), United States (19.5), Japan (16 %), India (15%), New Zealand (11%)

DUE APRIL 10TH- 100 POINTS


Government Type:

HaLorien's 2nd President: Jerry Longfeller, elected 1950.

• Republic: The government of HaLorien, as strictly defined, is a republic. Rather than classifying the government as a democracy, where the people are seen as a group, the HaLorien government takes pride in recognizing and administering to the minority group.
• Federal Power Distribution: The central government is located in HaLorien's capital, Carwrite, however, each province has a local government to provide specific services.
• Presidential: Every 3 years, HaLorienigans vote in a primary election, to determine a group of 3 candidates, and then after a year of campaigning, the country votes in a subsequent election to elect the President of HaLorien.

Subdivisions of Power: The North, South, East and West Regions of HaLorien are officicially classified as provinces.
Current Government Established: Despite HaLorien's independence in 1946, the country had no established government. It was not until February of 1947 that an official government came into play based off of the HaLorence Constitution written over the course of 1946.
Legal System/Branches of Government:

Executive: Election Process: In HaLorien, the President is elected directly by the people every 3 years. Each citizen over the age of 20 is expected to vote on September 19th in a primary election to determine the 3 candidates, exactly one year later, after each candidate is given an opportunity to campaign thoroughly, eligible citizens vote for President. The President may not be reelected. Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com. Functions of President: The President: While many duties of the President are outlined in HaLorien's Constitutional Declaration, the way the president carries them out depends on his/her personality, as well as his/her political views. The president has seven distinct roles: Commander in Chief, Chief of State, Diplomat, Chief Executive, Legislator, Moral Leader, and Party Leader. Chosen How: The President: The President is elected by the people of HaLorien through direct vote. The Cabinet: The losing candidates in the campaign for Presidency are given the choice to join the cabinet, if accepted, they are allowed to pick their position based on their interests. There is no Vice President. The president appoints people for the remaining positions. Cabinet: Current President of HaLorien: Robert Reed Durocher Department of State: James Manchester Department of the Treasury: Albert Dreyon Department of Defense: Katherine Manwell Department of Justice: Philippe Costago Department of the Interior: Kelly Shirvani Department of Agriculture: Bartholomew Herrero Department of Commerce: Henry Madge Department of Labor: Sandra Harin Department of Health and Human Services: Lucas Crawford Department of Housing and Urban Development: William Dodd Department of Transportation: Walter Damund Department of Energy: Gordon James Lethem Department of Education: Thomas Griffith Department of Veteran Affairs: Charles Colburn Department of Homeland Security: Bonnie Victoria Current Political Party in Power: The HaLorican Party is in power.

Legislative: Structure: Official Name: HaLorien Assembly Presiding Officer: James Manchester (Department of State) Number of Participants: 60 participants Selection of Participants: The members are elected by popular vote, 15 from each of the four provinces. Terms and Elections: Each member serves a 4 year term, after which they are allowed up to 3 reelections. However, as the HaLorien Assembly is assembled daily every business day, the elections are staggered so the only 7/12 of the assembly are open to reelection any given year. In this manner, a continuous body is created. Current Political Party in Power: The HaLorican Party is in power with a 47/60 seats. Chambers: Due to its minimal size, the HaLorien legislautre consists of one chamber: The HaLorien Assembly. Judicial: Structure: The judicial system of HaLorien is structured so that courts are nationally distributed. In each province, there is a Lorence Court, which is equatable to the United State's Supreme Court. Each Lorence Court has 5 Lorence judges appointed by the President. Underneath each province's Lorence Court, there are local courts that handle civil crimes, of which the judges are elected by popular vote from their province. Power Distribution: Although there is not one specific court that holds power above the rest, the four Lorence Courts do hold more authority over the lower courts in the fact that they deal with criminal cases, and they are the highest appellate courts. Government of HaLorien on Prezi

The HaLorican Political Symbol: The Cuckoo Roller. Political Parties: Only one political party tends to dominate; that is the HaLorican Party. The HaLorican Party dominates because the majority of HaLorienigans tend to agree with HaLorican views (similar to the views of America's Republicans); however, politicians of other parties are always welcomed into the government so all interests of the people are represented. The HaLorican Symbol (pictured left) represents the politicians through their respect for HaLorien as they chose their symbol to be HaLorien's national bird. Many people view this choice as a way for them to declare the love for HaLorien and to show that they only have the country's best interest in mind. The poster (pictured right) is an excellent example of the large variety of HaLoricans. Gerry Needles, who ran for HaLorien Presidency in 1973 used this poster as part of his campaign. Needless to say, he was not elected. (On poster, click purple circle in middle.)

DUE APRIL 21ST - 100 POINTS

Revenue: $112.24 billion		Expenditure: $124.18 billion
		Government Spending as a percentage of GDP: Government Expenditure: 51.6% The poster above demonstrates HaLorienigans'dedication to supporting our public safetyofficers.
Mandatory Spending:		Discretionary Spending:
Paying the national debt Healthcare (HaLoricare/HaLoricaid) Welfare Programs Public Education HaLorence Help (Social Security)		National Defense Public Safety Ecological Beautification/Going Green Public Transportation Government Salaries

DUE MAY 13th- 50 POINTS



DUE MAY 13th- 50 POINTS

*Must have at least 2—one political and one economic. Be sure to thoroughly explain the
issue and the reasons for your country's position.


OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT ( NOT EXTRA CREDIT) WILL COUNT AS GRADE IF DONE
DUE MAY 16th- 30 POINTS

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